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It's more than a month now since I asked for advice, the fiesta is running fine. Not a single hiccup since my last post. Obviously it was a faulty idle air valve. Replacing it did the trick. Thanks to all we replied. Tony.

As you know, I had the IAV replaced on Monday and i collected it on Tuesday. By the afternoon it was back in the workshop, because following a relatively brief and trouble free drive it acted up again in a supermarket car park. It's been off the road until I collected it today. The manager who spoke to me yesterday told me that they had done all they could and could do no more. I was promised a list of the things carried out since I took it back this final time. Well i collected it this morning. Not a hitch so far. I have driven it 60 miles motorway and town. No cutting out. I'm thinking the IAV has worked. can't understand why it behaved so badly on Tuesday, unless the mechanic did something to it since then that has settled it. He went abroad on holiday today so isn't available. Neither is the manager, he's off until Monday. Somebody I know, an auto electrican, suggested that the IAV might have settled down. I did fill it with Shell this morning and a tub of STP fuel injector cleaner before I took it on its run. But it would have been too early for the STP to have worked. So for now, i am keeping my fingers crossed. Cheers all!

Just a thought: being as no fault codes are showing up, when there clearly is a problem, would it be useful to remove the ECU and have it tested? I ask because if it is a faulty ECU and it is repaired then surely the code for the problem will show up. The garage have explained that if the ECU was itself faulty the fault would be displayed on the dash. But I am reading on other forums that this is not always correct.

They have just telephoned me to say that they cannot detect the fault. It hasn't been acting up since i took it back other than when they first tried testing it with the diagnosis. It gave no readings. I think they have just decided it's a pup and not worth their man hours on. They are not going to charge me. I've been told that they have had Ford advising them, but too many things for me to remember at the moment. I have asked for a list of what they have done, so that at least I know what to put on here for you guys. I mentioned examining the dreaded loom, but that would appear to be for me a financial nightmare. I asked about the injectors and was told they are fine. I might try filling the tank tomorrow when i collect it and try putting some fuel injector cleaner in it. other than that I haven't a clue what to do with it. I wouldn't try selling it as i wouldn't wish it on anybody, and I certainly wouldn't want the comeback. Part exchanging it would have its problems as would taking it to an auction. It's nowhere near being a scrap vehicle, nowhere. I'm as sick as a parrot i can tell you. Thanks for all your help and advice. I shall tell you tomorrow what they put on the list. Cheers for now!

I notice you have a Granada. The manager who dealt with me yesterday owns a Ford Cortina L reg (1973). He had it parked in one of the bays. Obviously very proud of it. He told me that the wiring looms on his were perfect also the car is on very low mileage for the year. I used to drive them in my working days. Well retired now. ;) They know about the fuel pressure problems you mention and have tested it, but as you say it might need a more in depth probing. I'm expecting to hear from them this evening. Can't bear the suspense. :D

"Once more unto the breach dear friends." I think those words weren't only written for Henry V, the Bard could have had future Ford Fiesta owners with my problem in mind. A few hours after I posted my words of joy, i took it for a 15 mile run and everything was fine. I parked it in a supermarket car park and returned to it half an hour later. It wouldn't even start without me giving it loads of gas. When it did it conked out everytime that I took my foot off the pedal. I took it back immediately and it was hooked up to the diagnostics once again, but nothing showed up. It was acting up for the mechanics too. So I am no further forward. They are keeping it tonight and intend to get Ford on the case properly tomorrow. I was told that they are thinking maybe wiring loom problems. When this is finally sorted, the manager told me 'they won't be beat,' I might have been better sussing out a reconditioned engine. A 1.25 instead of the dreadful 1.3 Duratec. But the manager didn't agree. On the contrary, he told me, he doesn't feel that it is solveable by just plonking in another engine. Also he told me that the Duratec is okay. It's certainly got the grease monkeys baffled, and me.

Well, I'm back and have just picked the car up and have given it a bit of a run and it's driving fine. Certainly not over revving and idles as it should at normal idle. And the big plus is it hasn't cut out on me. Cost me £195.72 in total on this occasion. It worked out at £130.00 for the idle air valve and gaskets x2. The rest was labour. I was in London on Saturday. There was a display of concours motors along the Mall. Ferraris were two a penny alongside some really classic older cars. But I was terribly disappointed not to spot a gleaming Ford Fiesta Finesse amongst any of them. :D Anyway chaps, thanks for all the advise. Still baffled as to why it never showed any fault readings. I have been given a copy of the graph readings, but in order to spot if the faults were showing up, the photo copy has to be in colour and mine was only printed in black ink. A line in red ink would show if the faults were obvious. Green lines show normal runnings. It would be nice if the lady who started this thread came back and told us how she got on. Maybe she is still pulling her hair out. i hope not. Thanks once again and if I encounter anymore problems I now know where to come. Thanks for your interest.

Tony, thanks for replying this late. I guess I will have to trust that the idle air valve when replaced cures it. I'm not one for tucking in under the bonnet, I leave that to those with trained skills, not that I'm knocking those that have a go who like to try a bit of DIY. Just wish I had the confidence. I used to muck about with my Morris minors and my Austin Cambridge in my younger days. Lol!

Well here I am again gents, 200 miles away from home, and I don't know if my auto problem is any further forward. I telephoned them this afternoon and asked how the tests on the data logger had worked out, as I had left it with them on Wednesday because it had broken down 4 times that day so the DL must have picked up the faults. Sorry I was told, the lads have had your car out on the road testing it and no probs found, in fact he told me he had taken it home yesterday evening to test it after it had been left overnight. Still nor problems. I then asked what were the results of the DL which they must have checked. Nothing showed up I was assured, but he asked me to leave it with them and they would take it on the road again. I received a further call at 5pm this afternoon, surprise, surprise, one of the mechanics had it on the road and it broke down 3 times. But the DL showed no faults. They had contacted Ford with the problem. They were told to check the fuel pressure, which was done with no problems reported there. The only other possibility I was informed that Ford had informed them of was that that the idle air valve was the only other possibility. They reckon that could fail and the DL wouldn't necessarily pick that up. Am I getting the Michael taking out of me here? I ask you. I have been warned that this might not cure it but it is my best hope. So on Monday the I A V will be replaced.If that doesn't do the trick I will have to take it to Ford proper.

Tony, that's the bit which you mention about the DL requiring an expert to read the information it produces. In the end i might have to take it to a Ford dealership. Maybe the guys dealing with it will ask Ford for the answer if they can't. The guy dealing with me said they would. That was before fitting the DL and even mentioning it. Like reading the stuff about other cars and their problems that you have mentioned. It's all useful knowledge. Cheers mate.